Home gardening trends keep on growing
Grow your
own way
BY JULIA DE SIMONE
W HETHER YOU HAVE a green or brown thumb, the home gardening trend keeps growing and growing and growing…literally. According to GardenPals.com, 18.3 million new gardeners—primarily millennials—sprouted since the COVID-19 pandemic. And why not? Gardening provides therapeutic benefits, it saves money (today’s average garden yields $600 in produce annually), and recent research shows that children engaged in growing vegetables are more willing to eat them, a win-win for families of the pickiest eaters. Go grow How does a garden grow, especially with limited space and novice hands? Quite well and for centuries. Since 1792, the Old Farmers’ Almanac has been the gardening bible for both budding and expert gardeners. According to the website, “When this Almanac was
founded, we had an agrarian society; that is, everyone grew their own food (there were no groceries as well stocked as we have today). People needed and looked for advice on maintaining farms and fields, planting, tending and harvesting, as well as weather.” Location matters When determining where to set up your garden, consider the mantra real estate agents live by: Location, location, location. “Choosing the right location for your garden goes a long way to ensuring its success,” wrote Benedict “Ben” Vanheems, in an article on GrowVeg.com. Lynn Ocone, who wrote “Planning a Vegetable Garden” for the National Association of Gardening, agrees. She shares that the ideal location for a vegetable garden is one with direct sunlight, adding that most vegetables need six to eight hours of sun daily (leafy greens like spinach and lettuce can thrive with a bit less).
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IN YOUR CORNER ISSUE 18 | 2024
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